Wynand Barnard

Wynand (Vinnie) Barnard is a Marketing Executive at Astute People, responsible for driving the company’s digital presence, social media strategy, content creation, and design. Since joining Astute in 2022, Vinnie has combined his previous recruitment experience with a passion for marketing to deliver innovative campaigns, streamline processes, and support business growth across the UK energy and power sectors.

Specialist in Marketing and Digital Strategy

Vinnie manages Astute’s social media channels, designs graphics and proposals, writes blogs, produces video content, and updates LinkedIn job postings. His background in recruitment and international education enables him to bring a unique perspective to marketing, ensuring content resonates with both clients and candidates. “Because we’re essentially a two-man team, both of us are involved in every aspect of the marketing you’ve (hopefully) seen. My role includes social media, filming and editing videos, writing blogs, updating our LinkedIn jobs, and designing proposals, salary surveys, job advert graphics, etc. I love it!”

Marketing Approach

Vinnie takes a hands-on, innovative approach to marketing. He leverages AI tools, automation, and creative processes to deliver content efficiently and stay ahead of industry trends. He thrives in the fast-paced, evolving environment of recruitment marketing, where learning and adaptation are key. “Whenever something [new] comes along, I immediately turn to AI and ChatGPT to see how I can streamline that process…Astute always chooses to innovate.”

Career at Astute People

Vinnie began at Astute as a Recruitment Partner in the Power team, before moving into marketing when a bespoke role was created to align with his interests. His career journey reflects a blend of curiosity, initiative, and the ability to embrace new challenges. “It was a huge opportunity to jump into marketing when the role was created for me by Terry, our CEO. Of course I jumped at the chance immediately!”

Interested in building your own career at Astute? Explore opportunities to join Astute and discover where your skills could take you.

Favourite Things About Working at Astute

Vinnie values the company culture, support, and benefits. Beyond perks like the 9-Day Fortnight and private healthcare, he enjoys the depth of relationships formed with colleagues and the dynamic, engaging atmosphere of the team. “My favourite thing about working here is how well you get to know one another…people stay for a while, so you get to know them on a much deeper level.”

Advice for People Considering a Role at Astute

“Don’t work at Astute if you’re looking for a role where you can fade into the background, clock in and out, and be just another cog in the system. At Astute, you can’t just fade into the background, because while your role is important, who you are is of equal (if not more) importance.”

If you’re looking for a role where your individuality, ideas and contribution are valued, find out more about joining Astute or get in touch with our team.